Jamie Sisson Shares His Cardiac Story
On June 22, 2023, Jamie Sisson experienced a medical emergency that could have turned out much differently than it did.
“At 4am, I woke up with what I thought was indigestion,” shared Jamie. “We had eaten late, I had a lot of things going on in my professional and personal life. I just thought that my dinner wasn’t sitting well with me.” 
Jamie sat up for about 15 minutes, not in any severe pain, experiencing nausea and indigestion. He then began to sweat, which made him think he might be having a panic attack. “I tried calming myself with techniques that usually are successful, but nothing was working. I stood up to go back to bed and began feeling worse immediately. At this time, I knew I needed to get to the Emergency Room.”
Jamie arrived at the Holzer Gallipolis Emergency Room at 4:30am and within minutes was hooked up to testing modules. Within 10-15 minutes after arriving, staff informed him he was experiencing a significant cardiac event. Holzer’s Cardiac Cath Team was called, and by 5am, Jamie was on his way to the cardiac cath lab for stenting.
“Jamie was in the cath lab and stented within 45 minutes of arriving at Holzer’s Emergency Room,” shared his wife, Amy. “We were amazed at how quickly everything happened. The team kept me informed and provided information on what was happening every step of the way.”
Jamie received two stents for what most refer to as a “widow maker” blockage. Each year, approximately 805,000 people in the US have a heart attack, which happens when a portion of the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. A widow maker heart attack occurs when a blockage forms at the beginning of the LAD artery, completely restricting blood flow to a large portion of the heart, impairing the heart’s function. Within a few seconds or minutes after the blockage, the heart may become weak, stop working, or have electrical instability that causes it to stop pumping. If the restoration of blood flow does not take place quickly, the heart muscle may die.
“I was impressed with the thoroughness of the staff,” shared Amy. “The nurse navigator went through everything. She carefully explained the medications, follow up care, what appointments he would need, and more. We were able to contact her with any questions well after our hospital stay and always received a quick response. She made me feel confident that help was one call away. Our friends in larger cities were impressed with the care he received here at home.”
“Jamie has worked at the hospital for several years, and I really thought he was receiving special treatment due to that relationship,” shared Amy. “But after observing the staff as they completed their care rotations, I realized that they treat everyone like family. Jamie received good medical care with compassion. We didn’t have one bad staff member during his stay. Every shift, every department was phenomenal. From the people delivering the food, to the one emptying the trash, everyone was so kind.”
Most would say Jamie was in good health. At 48 years old, he wasn’t taking any medications for blood pressure or cholesterol and attended annual health appointments. “I have a family history of cardiovascular disease, so I know it’s important to keep tabs on my health. Just a day or so before my cardiac event, I hiked 5 miles with Amy with no complications.”
Jamie completed his cardiac rehabilitation at Holzer Sycamore Clinic and continues to work out with the program established during rehab. “I feel better than I ever have,” he shared. “Between the medications I’m taking, working out, and diet changes, my health is so much better. I’ve lost 30 pounds, and I am continuing to work on my health. I didn’t realize how bad I really felt until I started taking better care of myself.”
“I would encourage everyone to listen to his/her body,” Jamie said. “Look at your lifestyle. It was a slow process with me. I started to realize things were going on with my health, but I had a lot of things happening in my personal and professional worlds and figured my issues were stress related. I encourage everyone to do annual blood work and make the wellness visit with your providers, especially if you have family history of cardiovascular disease. It’s important to exercise and watch what you eat.”
Amy shared, “This experience was a wakeup call for our family as well as people close to us. Mid-life could be end of life. It can all change in a moment.”
Jamie and Amy recently celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. They reside in Gallipolis with their children, Brett, James, and Luke. Jamie is the pastor at Fellowship of Faith in Rio Grande and the Director of Chaplaincy Services, Holzer Health System. Amy is a local trauma counselor, providing integral services for our communities.
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About Holzer Health System
Holzer Cardiovascular Services has assembled a staff of the region’s most qualified team of cardiac physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff. Using the most technologically advanced cardiac equipment and procedures, our team is devoted to delivering you the very best in cardiac care. Through inpatient and outpatient treatments including medical management, cardiac catheterizations, we offer diagnostic cardiac catheterizations as well as cardiac angioplasties/stents. For more information, visit www.holzer.org or call 1-855-4HOLZER.
